King of New York (1990): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Plot
King of New York is a 1990 crime thriller directed by Abel Ferrara, starring Christopher Walken, Laurence Fishburne and Steve Buscemi. It runs 1 hour 43 minutes and earned $2.6 million worldwide. It earned 1 award nomination, including Best Cinematography at the Spirit Awards 1991. Critics gave it 73% on Rotten Tomatoes and 66 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 6.9/10.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 43m (103 min)
- Director
- Abel Ferrara
- Original language
-
English
- Studio
- Carolco Pictures
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is King of New York About?
The premise of King of New York without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
A ruthless crime lord attempts to seize control of New York's drug trade, unexpectedly joining forces with the city's forgotten residents. His ambition isn's solely about power; he aims to redistribute wealth and influence within the underbelly of the city, creating a complex web of alliances and betrayals as he strives for dominance.
King of New York Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- mob boss
- cult film
- murder
- chase
- release from prison
- prostitute
- underwear
- bride and groom
- subway
- violence
- dead woman
- brothel
+38 more Show fewer
- lingerie
- taxi
- female nudity
- dead body in a car trunk
- car chase
- murder at funeral
- neo noir
- female rear nudity
- place name in title
- title spoken by character
- biracial child
- cobbled street
- soda
- watching tv
- four word title
- gun
- woman wears a short skirt
- drug trade
- drug trafficking
- drug trafficker
- drug kingpin
- crime lord
- gangster boss
- gangland
- gangsterism
- underworld
- criminal underworld
- underbelly
- major drug dealer
- new york city gangster
- crime empire
- criminal empire
- crime war
- criminal
- american gangster
- american mafia
- cosa nostra
- chinese mafia
King of New York Cast
Christopher Walken leads the cast, with Laurence Fishburne and Steve Buscemi. Directed by Abel Ferrara; 10 actors are credited in all.
-
Director Abel Ferrara
Also Starring in King of New York
· 6 moreMore from Abel Ferrara
More films directed by Abel Ferrara, best-rated first: Pasolini, Bad Lieutenant, Ms. 45 and Tommaso.
King of New York Reviews & Ratings
Critics gave King of New York 73% on Rotten Tomatoes and 66 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 6.9/10.
-
IMDb 6.9 /10
See on IMDb -
Rotten Tomatoes 73% Tomatometer
Popcornmeter 77%
See on Rotten Tomatoes -
Metacritic 66 Metascore
User score 6.6
See on Metacritic -
TMDB 67% User score
See on TMDB
King of New York Plot Summary
What happens in King of New York from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
Frank White, portrayed by Christopher Walken, is a notorious drug lord making a grand return to New York City in a luxurious limousine after his release from the infamous Sing Sing prison. The story kicks off with the cold-blooded murder of a Colombian drug dealer, Emilio El Zapa, whose death is marked by a newspaper headline announcing Frank’s release. Zapa’s associate, King Tito, finds himself in a compromising position, holed up in a hotel room with Jimmy Jump, played by Laurence Fishburne, and Test Tube, depicted by Steve Buscemi. The duo seizes the opportunity to kill Tito and his armed guards, making off with a hefty stash of cocaine.
Full summary
The whole story of King of New York, scene by scene
King of New York Box Office
King of New York grossed $2.6 million worldwide.
Worldwide gross
$2.6M
- US & Canada
- $2.6M
King of New York Awards & Nominations
King of New York earned 1 award nomination, including Best Cinematography at the Spirit Awards 1991.
1 nomination1 ceremony
-
Spirit Awards 1991 1 nomination- Nominated Best Cinematography
King of New York Trailers & Videos
The trailer of King of New York.
How Well Do You Know King of New York?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
Who plays the main character, Frank White, in 'King of New York'?
Cars in King of New York
28 cars on screen, including the 1982 Cadillac Fleetwood Limousine and the 1981 Dodge Diplomat.
-
1982 Cadillac Fleetwood Limousine Important role -
1981 Dodge Diplomat Important role -
1982 Ford LTD-S Important role -
1990 Lincoln Mark VII Important role
King of New York Also Known As
20 alternative titles, including “Le Roi de New-York” and “King of New York - König zwischen Tag und Nacht”.
- Also known as
-
- Le Roi de New-York
- King of New York - König zwischen Tag und Nacht
- The King of New York
- O Rei de Nova Iorque
- El rey de Nueva York
- 纽约王
- Король Нью-Йорка
- Το Αφεντικό της Νέας Υόρκης
- מרדף בניו יורק
- New York királya
- Král New Yorku
- O Rei de Nova York
+8 more Show fewer
- Niujorko karalius
- 킹 오브 뉴욕
- Król Nowego Jorku
- حکمران نیویورک (شاه نیویورک)
- Ông Trùm New York
- Кралят на Ню Йорк
- キング・オブ・ニューヨーク
- New York'un Kralı
Seen King of New York?
Movies Like King of New York
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including New York Confidential, New York and Gangs of New York.
King of New York FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Awards
Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office, ratings, awards and post-credit scenes of King of New York, each answered in a sentence.
How long is King of New York?
King of New York runs 1 hour 43 minutes (103 minutes).
When was King of New York released?
King of New York was released on September 28, 1990.
Who directed King of New York?
King of New York was directed by Abel Ferrara.
More films by Abel Ferrara Who is in the cast of King of New York?
King of New York stars Christopher Walken, Laurence Fishburne and Steve Buscemi, among 10 credited actors.
How much did King of New York make at the box office?
King of New York grossed $2.6 million worldwide.
How is King of New York rated?
King of New York has 6.9/10 on IMDb, 73% on Rotten Tomatoes, 66 on Metacritic and 67% on TMDB.
Was King of New York nominated for any awards?
King of New York received 1 nomination across 1 ceremony.
Does King of New York have a post-credit scene?
No. King of New York has no extra scene during or after the credits.
Coming soon to your phone
The Plot Explained Movie Summary App
From blockbusters to hidden gems: plot summaries, endings explained and timelines on your phone. Save your favorites and never miss a twist again.
Be the first to know when it launches. Your email stays private, always. Learn more about the app
